Welcome to college basketball, Zvonimir Ivišić. If you haven't heard the name or seen his highlights yet, now is the perfect time to start.

The Kentucky freshman had one of the more exciting debuts in recent memory in large part due to the fact that he wasn't even cleared to play until a few hours before game time against Georgia. Ivišić, better known as "Big Z" scored 13 points and added five rebounds, three blocks, two steals and a pair of assists in only 16 minutes of play.

Ivišić missed Kentucky's first 16 games due to issues clearing the NCAA's eligibility requirements but shined when given the opportunity in the 105-96 win over the Bulldogs. Kentucky has won eight of its last nine games and moved up to No. 6 in the latest AP Top 25 poll.

With Ivišić now in the fold alongside Kentucky's electric freshmen core of Justin Edwards, D.J. Wagner, Reed Sheppard, Rob Dillingham plus veterans Antonio Reeves and Tre Mitchell — the sky is the limit on how far Kentucky can go in the tournament.

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Let's jump into our rankings and get to our CBS Sports/USBWA Freshman of the Week for the the 2023-24 college basketball season

Freshman of the Week: Zvonimir Ivišić, Kentucky

Welcome back to the Frosh Watch, our weekly ranking of the five most impressive freshmen in college basketball. CBS Sports has once again teamed up with the United States Basketball Writers Association and its Wayman Tisdale Freshman of the Year Award to present this every-Tuesday feature. Each week we'll start by announcing the national Freshman of the Week honoree. The cycle for FOTW runs Tuesday-Monday.

The 7-foot-1 Croatian big man shined in his first college action. His addition gives Kentucky a new wrinkle no matter how much or how little he plays. Ivišić played professionally in the ABA League and committed to Kentucky less than five months ago. He can make an impact on an already-loaded roster.

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There were multiple different players who put up notable stat lines that got consideration for Freshman of the Week. Heck, even Ivišić's teammate Wagner captured SEC Freshman of the Week. Washington State's Myles Rice had a heroic performance in a near win over Cal and sent the game to overtime with a last-second shot ... but Ivišić simply took the college basketball world by storm and had a debut we'll be talking about for a long time.

Frosh Watch: Top 10 freshman rankings

1. PJ Haggerty, Tulsa

Stats: 19.2 PPG | 4.7 RPG | 3.4 APG | 47.7% FG

We have a new No. 1! As someone who has commanded these rankings all season, I will say ranking the best overall freshman has been a challenge each week. Haggerty is only the third different player to appear at the top of this list - joining Sheppard, who has been No. 1 for the past few weeks, and USC's Isaiah Collier. Haggerty is the leading scorer amongst all freshmen in the country and is coming off a 25/6/7 game in a win over UTSA and a 19-point performance against SMU. Haggerty is the No. 1 player until someone takes his spot. Last week: 3

2. Ja'Kobe Walter, Baylor

Stats: 15.2 PPG | 4.6 RPG | 1.2 SPG

Walter continues to impress with his growth as a shot-creator and his ability to knock down shots from the perimeter. After scoring only eight points in a loss to Kansas State earlier in the week, Walter responded by recording 22 points and seven rebounds in a last-second loss to Texas on the road. That game marked Walter's eighth game with at least three shots from beyond the arc. Last week: 2

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3. Reed Sheppard, Kentucky

Stats: 11.8 PPG | 4.1 RPG | 4.2 APG | 56.6% FG

Sheppard is the efficiency king. Every time Sheppard is on the floor, he stuffs the stat sheet with an efficient shooting performance. In the win over Georgia, Sheppard knocked down 4-of-5 3-pointers (his only shots from the floor on the day) and finished with 12 points and five assists. Sheppard has been the No. 1 player for the last three weeks and that nod (for now) goes to Haggerty. Don't be surprised if he finds himself at the top of this list again as soon as next week. Last week: 1

4. Myles Rice, Washington State

Stats: 15.8 PPG | 3.6 APG | 2.4 RPG

Rice's best scoring outing of his career came in an 89-75 win over Stanford last week. Rice scored 35 points and added eight assists, four steals and two rebounds. Days later, Rice scored 16 points and knocked down a 3-pointer at the buzzer that sent that game to overtime. Although Washington State eventually fell in the OT period, Rice had one of the best two-game stretches of his career that helped him move up two spots in the rankings. Last week: 6

5. Isaiah Collier, USC

Stats: 15.4 PPG | 4.1 APG  | 2.6 RPG | 50.6% FG

Once considered the frontrunner to be the Pac-12 Freshman of the Year, Collier has been out of the USC lineup the past few games because of a hand injury. His return to the court is TBD due to the injury and despite the lackluster play of his team, Collier remains a prime candidate to be a NBA Draft lottery selection this summer. For now, he drops one spot because of the performance of Rice — the new leader to win Freshman of the Year. Last week: 4

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6. Rob Dillingham, Kentucky

Stats: 13.8 PPG | 3.9 APG | 3.2 RPG

Dillingham logged only 17 minutes in a win over Georgia just days after scoring 16 points in 27 minutes during a win over Mississippi State. Dillingham's performances from last week evened out enough to only drop him one spot. Dillingham is certainly in contention to be the first freshman selected in the NBA Draft this summer. For now, he ranks No. 6 in these rankings. Last week: 5

7. D.J Wagner, Kentucky

Stats: 12.8 PPG | 3.87 APG | 2.1 RPG

Wagner has been fantastic as of late for Kentucky. After some early season growing pains, Wagner has found a clear role within this Kentucky offense and has scored in double figures in six of his last eight games. In a win over Georgia, Wagner recorded his first double-double with 18 points and 10 assists. That performance helped him earn SEC Freshman of the Week for the third time this season. Last week: 7

8. Jared McCain, Duke

Stats: 12.2 PPG | 3.9 RPG | 41.6% 3FG

McCain recorded his fourth 20+ point performance since last month in a loss to Pitt. McCain played 38 minutes and still stepped up without Jeremy Roach and Mark Mitchell in the lineup by scoring 20 points. McCain is shooting an impressive 41.6% from beyond the arc and has hit three or more 3-pointers in seven games. Last week: 8

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9. Cody Williams, Colorado

Stats: 15.1 PPG | 3.5 RPG  | 1.9 APG | 58.9% FG

Williams is Colorado's X-Factor and his play the next seven weeks may determine if his team makes the NCAA Tournament. Williams missed over a month with injury and has scored 13+ or more in all four games since his return. Williams recorded 23 points in a 16-point win over Oregon and followed it up days later with a 16-point outburst. Colorado certainly has the talent to make the Big Dance, but it may come down to Williams reaching his college ceiling to make it there. Last week: NR

10. Malik Mack, Harvard

Stats: 18.7 PPG | 4.5 APG | 4.2 RPG

Mack was the leading scorer amongst all freshmen for the first two months of the season before Haggerty recently passed him up. Mack scored 16 points and added five assists and four rebounds in a win over Penn last weekend. Mack's numbers have been incredible and his overall body of work is enough to keep him on this list despite many people behind him playing just as well recently. Last week: 8

Others considered: UConn's Stephon Castle, UCLA's Sebastian Mack, Mississippi State's Josh Hubbard, Pitt's Carlton Carrington, Iowa State's Milan Momcilovic, Oregon's Jackson Shelstad and Notre Dame's Markus Burton

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